Burial-vault.



No. 790.1811 f l PATENTBDMAY 16,1905. R. c. BROWNING M. B. BANNONV.

BURIAL VAULT.

A'PPILIOATION FILED AUG. 8, 1904.

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Patented May 1e, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

ROSCOE C. BROVNING lAND JOSEPH B. BANNON, OF TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN.

BuFuAL-'vAuLr SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 799,181, dated May 16, 1905.

Applicata, ne@ August s, 1904.. serai No. 220,002.

Lo all whom it may concern;

Be it known that we, Rosoou C. BROWNTNG and J osurH B. BANNoN, citizens of the United States, residing at Traverse City, in the county of Grand Traverse and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Burial-Vault, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to burial-vaults and .similar receptacles or structures constructed of concrete or like materials, and hasfor its object to improve the construction and provide a structure of this character which may be inexpensively manufactured,easily transported, and the parts assembled at any required locality and which may be hermetically sealed after closing to protect and preserve the contents.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as the nature ofthe invention is better understood, the same consists in certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.'

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which corresponding parts are denoted bylilze designating characters, is illustrated the preferred form of the embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into practical operation,'it being understood that the invention is not necessarily limited thereto, as various changes in the shape, proportions, and general assemblage of the parts may bev resorted toI without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

In the drawings thus employed, Figure 1 is a -perspective view of the improved structure. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the structure with the cover removed. Fig. 3 is a transverse section. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 44of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail `illustrating the manner of constructing and connecting the side and end members and the corner members.

-The improved structure is formed entirely from concrete or similar material or compounds and consists of bottom and top members, corner members, and side and end members, the top and bottom members each being in two or more longitudinal sections having overlapping joints and the side and end members and the corner members having interlocking joints, together with channels between the joints, for receiving sealing compounds o.r material. The bottom memberris composed of two or more parts 11, overlapping alongtheir adjacent edges, as at 12 13, and with longitudinal channels 14 along the adjacent edges of the overlapping portions. The bottom members 10 11 are also provided with upwardly-extending anges 15 16, with channels 17 18 within the interior of the Hanges to receive a binding-cement, the channels 17 18 communicating at their ends to form a complete circuit around the interior of the bottom members and connected by apertures, as at 19, with the channel 14 in the bottom member. l

The top of the structure is also made of two portions 2O 21, having overlapping adjacent edges 22 23, longitudinal channels 24, and depending flanges 25 26, channels 27 23, and connecting-apertures 29, the top member being similar in construction to the bottom member, but inverted in position.

The corner members are engaged by the top and bottom members and bear against the flanges upon the same, and the side members 31 and end members 32 are disposed between the corner members and bear against the iianges with their adjacentedges in Contact, as represented. The edges of the cornermembers 30 are provided with approximately semicircular grooves or channels 33 and with approximately semicircular ribs or tongues 34, the channels or grooves being greater than one-half the circle, so that the entrance thereto is of a width less than the diameter of the circle.4

The side members 31 and end members 32 may each be made in a single piece, or they may be horizontally dividedinto two or more sections. In the drawings each of said members has been illustrated as being divided into two longitudinal sections which may be joined together in the same manner as the members composing the base and the top of the device, although it has not been deemed necessary to specifically illustrate this construction. Each so is of the side and end members is provided at the ends thereof with approximately semicircular grooves 35 and tongues 36, corresponding' with the grooves and tong'ues in the corner members, with which they may be readily connected, as will be readily understood by reference to the drawings. Then the parts are brought together, as best seen in Fig. 5 of the drawings, there will be left between the adjacent tongues of the cornerpieces and those of the end and side pieces recesses 87, which are to be afterward filled with cement in a plastic state, with molten sulfur, or other suitable material, whereby a perfectly-tight joint shall be effected.

The lid of the vault will be provided with openings 38, disposed in alinement with the upper ends of the recesses 37, through which the sealing material may be introduced into said recesses after the lid has been placed in position.

Apertures 43 44 are formed in the coversection 21 near its ends, communicating with the channel 24, and the latter being connected with the channels 27 28 by the branches 29 it is obvious that a liquid sealing compound being poured into the apertures 43 44 will lill the channels between the cover-member sections and between the cover and the side and end members and corner members. Similar apertures are also formed in the bottom members 10 11, communicating with the channel 14, one oi' which is shown at 45, to provide means for introducing a sealing compound into the channels 14 and 17 18.

With a receptacle thus constructed and assembled and connected by the sealing compounds it is obvious that a very strong and durable structure is produced which will become practically one solid mass as the sealing compound or cement becomes thoroughly set.

The contents of the receptacle are thus protected and preserved, and the parts, if made of suitable concrete material, are practically indestructible and impervious to both moisture and heat.

Formed in the cover members 20 Z1 are recesses 46 47, adapted to receive blocks, as at 48 49, bearing characters which may be combined to denote names, dates, or other matter, as described.

Formed through the cover members 20 21 near one end are apertures 50 51, having' heavy glass closures 52 53, and by inserting tubes, as 54 55, above the apertures extending' to the outer air the contents ol the receptacle may be observed by casting a strong light through one tube and looking through the other. An aperture may also be vformed through one of the cover members to receive an air-valve 57 to enable air-pressure to be applied to the interior to determine the question of thel tightness of the same, il required.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1 1. In a receptacle of the class described, the combination with flanged top and bottom members having cement-receiving recesses or cavities at the inner corners of said flanges, ot' corner members having approximately semicircular grooves and tongues, and side and end members having corresponding grooves and tongues engaging the tongues and grooves of the corner members and forming cement-receiving channels between the engaging faces of the tongues.

2. [n a receptacle of the class described, the combination of iianged top and bottom members, corner members having approximately semicircular grooves and tongues, side and end members having' correspondingly semicircular tongues and grooves engaging the grooves and tongues of the corner members and forming spaces between the engaging faces of the tongues, said top member being' provided with openings registering' with the upper ends of said spaces.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto aliixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

ROSCOE C. BROW N vI N( JOSEPH B. BANNON.

1V itnesses:

JOHN lV. PATCIHN, ROY E. KING. 

